Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, only the plot. Sorry about the huge gap between publishing chapters, I've been working on my own stuff which was nearly published but then wasn't because of small print on the Amazon book publishing thing :(. Anyway, here's the next chapter, and I might even manage to finish it soon. I might have even worked out what Artemis' plan involves!

Chapter 10

"That was Holly?" Minerva whispered, sliding closer to Artemis. She was already practically sat on his lap in the living room. The twins were on the floor, rolling around and playing some crazy game. It did not take much imagination to see the two of them as the parents, rather than older sibling and girlfriend.

Artemis nodded.

"She's so much smaller than I remembered. I mean, I only met her for a few moments, but I remember everything that happened then and I could've sworn she was taller."

"You're taller," Artemis pointed out. "It's a matter of perspective. You remember her as being not that much smaller than you, because she wasn't. Now that you're..."

"All right, all right, I know. What's she doing here?"

"There's a situation. Opal... Both Opals... Have escaped and are running loose. And they're trying to kill both of us. She was nearly killed this morning."

Minerva wrapped her hands around his neck, kissed his ear. "Is it dangerous for me to be here?"

"I hope not. I sure hope not... Listen, Min, I won't be around a couple of days. I have to sort this out."

"You won't be spending time with that Holly, will you?"

Artemis laughed. "You're not jealous are you? Please tell me you aren't jealous. She's nearly a hundred years old, probably got some fairy boyfriend back home."

"I'm not jealous." Minerva kissed him again, and Artemis drew her closer. They stayed like that until Artemis noticed the twins giggling and making puking noises and pulled back. Minerva smiled, looked him straight in the eye. "How could I be jealous? No, it's just that she always seems to get you into danger. Every time you get tangled up with the fairies, something bad happens, someone nearly dies, and your luck can't last forever. Look at the laws of averages for heaven's sake. I lost you for three years. Three years Artemis."

"Calm down Min, calm down." Artemis kissed her neck. It was the most convenient point that wouldn't lead the twins to start mucking around even more. They were still staring at him and smirking and making smooching noises. He didn't bother to tell them to stop. They wouldn't listen. They didn't listen to anyone but Juliet. "She's got me out of trouble more times than she's got me into it."

"Maybe," Minerva conceded reluctantly.

"Listen, I have a plan, it's not maybe the most ideal, but things are far from ideal and I'm sure it will work. Here, I'll tell you if that'll make you feel happier about it."

"I guess."

Artemis dropped his voice so the twins wouldn't overhear, and talked her through it, answering her questions, giving up every part of his plan. Even the parts he hadn't discussed with Foaly and Holly.

"If you're going to sit there and stare at me like that, you may as well make yourself useful," Juliet said at length, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them. Her leg still hurt, but she had decided not to make an issue of it. It had been her fault, in a way. Butler would probably have reacted the same. Heck, she probably would've reacted the same.

"How?" Holly asked curtly. "I'm not exactly tall enough to reach the stove or anything like that. And my idea of cooking is to pull a smoothie out the fridge."

"You could carve the roast I'm sure, if you were to..."

"I'm not touching that thing," Holly hissed, sliding off the stool and landing lithely on the floor. She stalked towards the door. "I want to know more about this plan of Artemis'. He's only told me the first little bit of his plan and..."

"Sorry," Juliet sighed. "I'm not used to having veggies around."

Holly stiffened. "Say that again why don't you?" The buzz baton was back in her hand.

"I'm not used to having vegetarians around. What's wrong with that?"

"Oh." Holly put the baton away. "I guess it's a cultural thing. Not polite to call someone a veggie in Haven. You'd probably get attacked by a battalion of angry LEPrecons if you said that to them."

"Sorry." Juliet ran her fingers through her hair. "I didn't mean any offence... You like that weapon, don't you?"

"Wouldn't you if you were three foot tall and surrounded by humans with no other defence?" Holly demanded. "What the heck is that idiot up to now? Sorry, genius. I don't suppose you could really call him an idiot. I'm gonna go stick this charge up his..."

"Calm down Holly. What's getting to you? You're not jealous of Minerva are you? I mean, how could it ever work between you and Artemis? You're different species for heaven's sake! Now.

Since you don't eat meat, what would you like to eat?"

Holly shrugged. "Whatever. I'm not that hungry."

"What's the matter with you today?"

"Nothing. You got that? Absolutely nothing."

"All right, all right. Sit down again."

"Or what?"

"Holly, you don't want to go in there and interupt Artemis and Minerva, trust me on that one. You

don't want her in on the plan, do you?"

"No."

"Right. Then you'll just have to be patient."

Holly didn't sit down. She paced the kitchen with her baton out in her hand, twirling it around. Juliet watched her for a moment until she decided that it was probably wiser to let Holly get on with being angry and do her job of cooking for the family.